General – 1
AF Note – 1
AGROFORESTRY NOTES May 2014
An Overview of Agroforestry
Introduction Agroforestry is a management system that combines
agriculture and trees to address conservation needs
and build more profitable and weather-resilient
farms, ranches and communities. Agroforestry
practices provide opportunities to integrate
productivity and profitability with environmental
stewardship resulting in healthy and sustainable
agricultural systems that can be passed on to
USDA NRCS PHOTO
future generations.
Trees and shrubs can be included into agricultural
systems in many ways. Depending on the
situation and application, agroforestry NRCS District Conservationist speaks with two landowners
practices can: 1) provide protection for about their forest management plan.
valuable topsoil, livestock, crops, and
wildlife; 2) increase productivity of agricultural and horticultural crops; 3) reduce inputs of
energy and chemicals; 4) increase water use efficiency of plants and animals; 5) improve water
quality; 6) diversify local economies and on-farm income; 7) enhance biodiversity; 8) improve
air quality and sequester carbon and 9) support working lands at the landscape scale.
Agroforestry can help reduce conflict between rural and urban land uses by creating “ecobelts” that
serve as a zone of transition and help to reconnect agriculture, people, and communities. Applying
these practices at a landscape scale is to creates a more functional landscape that can contribute to the
quality of life for many people.
Economic Enhance Production: In agricultural fields, orchards, vineyards and vegetable fields sheltered by
Benefits agroforestry systems, crops have less bruising, scarring, and insect problems, and in many cases
improved growth rates and higher yields.
Income Diversification: Agroforestry can provide additional income streams for farms and ranches
and potentially increase crop yields per acre while conserving natural resources.
Environmental Water Quality: Agroforestry systems can filter rainfall runoff laden with sediment, nutrient, chemical,
Benefits and biological contaminants and help protect stream banks from erosion by flood waters. The result
is cleaner water for communities and wildlife. Agroforestry can help address landscape-scale water
quality issues such as hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico and Chesapeake Bay.
Soil Quality: Agroforestry systems can improve soil quality while reducing or minimizing wind and
water soil erosion. Woody roots in agroforestry systems increase water infiltration, add organic carbon
to the soil, recycle nutrients and improve nutrient retention.
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Wildlife Habitat: Populations of many wildlife species often increase with the addition of agroforestry systems
in urban and agricultural areas, which in turn provides opportunities for recreational uses, such as bird-
watching, hunting and hiking. In addition, agroforestry practices can increase the overall diversity of plants and
physical structure in a landscape and as a result provide improved habitat for native pollinators.
Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation and Carbon Sequestration: Woody plants sequester significant
amounts of carbon and simultaneously increase the resilience of working lands to the impacts of droughts and
floods, which may be increasing due to changing climate.
Energy Conservation: Agroforestry systems can significantly reduce home heating/cooling needs,
reduce the need for snow removal and reduce irrigation needs, all of which save fuel.
Air Quality: The leaves and branches of trees and shrubs in agroforestry systems help filter and absorb air
pollutants, create shade and cooler temperatures, and may help mitigate air quality impacts of livestock and
industrial odors.
Social Benefits Building Networks and Community: Through exchanging information about agroforestry, landowners
can learn from one another about new practices and the resources available to implement them. Multiple
landowners growing the same products may choose to work together to process or market these goods.
Processing equipment can be purchased cooperatively or landowners can carry out market research and
marketing together.
Jobs: Adding agroforestry practices to a farm or ranching enterprise can strengthen the resilience of that
economic enterprise to fluctuations and changes by diversifying its income. In turn, this resilience can help
maintain and create jobs.
Quality of Life: Agroforestry systems are beneficial to farms, ranches, and communities, where these systems
can protect soil, water, wildlife, roads, and buildings, in addition to reducing noise, moderating odors, lessening
wind and filtering dust.
Visual Quality: Agroforestry systems can add variety to the landscape, screen undesirable views and provide
recreational opportunities for viewing wildlife.
Agroforestry Agroforestry can be tailored to work in almost any resource situation. The multitude of agroforestry systems
Systems and their design variations can be put into six basic categories: 1) alley cropping; 2) windbreaks; 3) riparian
forest buffers; 4) silvopasture; 5) forest farming; and 6) special practices. Understanding the basics of these
practices is the first step toward creating and managing an sustainable agroforestry system.
Alley cropping can be designed to fit many farming and ranching situations. These
systems are created by planting single or multiple tree rows at a predetermined
spacing. The space between the rows is the alley where agricultural or horticultural
crops are planted. In alley cropping, an agricultural crop is grown simultaneously
Alley Cropping with a long-term tree crop to provide annual income while the tree crop matures.
Hardwoods, like walnut, oak, ash, and pecan, are favored species and can
potentially provide high-value lumber or veneer logs. Nut crops, such as hazelnut,
pecan, walnut, and chestnut can be an intermediate product. Short rotation
biomass or forages can also be incorporated into the design.
Before 1900 1914 1930 1960s-1970s
Traditional ecological knowledge J. Russell Smith, an economic The Great Depression and “Dust Interest in trees and their potential
that many indigenous groups use geographer at Columbia University, Bowl” spurred the U.S. Congress to role in food production and soil
in managing land include many advocated the use of permanent authorize the Prairie States Forestry conservation increased, after a
practices that could be labeled tree-protected systems to maximize Project to plant windbreaks, which decrease in the post war technology
agroforestry. In tropical regions, production on arable lands. Smith’s resulted in reconsideration of boom.
such as Hawaii and other Pacific book, Tree Crops: A Permanent agricultural policies and supported
Islands, agroforestry has been Agriculture provides many ideas that research in agroforestry.
widely practiced for centuries and are still relevant today.
is still used today.
Events in U.S. Agroforestry (1900 - Present)
Windbreaks are linear plantings of trees and shrubs designed to enhance crop
production, protect people and livestock, and benefit soil and water
conservation. There are several types of windbreaks. Field windbreaks protect
wind-sensitive crops, control wind erosion, and increase bee pollination and
Windbreaks pesticide effectiveness. Livestock windbreaks help reduce animal stress and
mortality, reduce feed consumption, and help reduce visual impacts and odors.
Living snow fences keep roads clear of drifting snow and increase driving
safety. Windbreaks can also spread snow evenly across a field, increasing spring
soil moisture.
Riparian forest buffers are strips of vegetation, including trees and shrubs, alongside
streams, lakes, wetlands, ponds, and drainage ditches. These buffers intercept
sediment, nutrients, pesticides and other materials in surface runoff and in shallow
subsurface water flow so they don’t get into the waterways. Temperatures in cold
Riparian Forest water streams can be maintained with shade from trees along their banks. Woody
Buffers vegetation also reduces bank erosion by absorbing energy from stream action and
by the roots holding soil in place. Some tree and shrub species can be managed in a
riparian forest buffer for timber, wood fiber, bioenergy fuels, and horticultural and
non-timber forest products. The inclusion of woody plants into an agricultural
landscape also increases biodiversity and habitat diversity.
Silvopastures combine trees, livestock and forages on the same acreage. With
this approach, the trees create a favorable microclimate condition for growing
forage (pasture or hay), reduces heat for livestock, while the trees grow wood
Silvopasture or other products. Although currently practiced mostly in the southern and
western United States, integrated forestry and livestock systems are gaining
interest everywhere. Silvopasture can be established by thinning existing tree
plantations or by planting trees into existing pastures. Some nut and fruit
orchards may also be grazed.
Forest farming or multi-story cropping adds an agricultural quality to the
woodlands. Forest farming is the cultivation of high-value non-timber forest
products under the protection of a forest canopy that has been modified to
Forest Farming provide the correct shade level. Crops like ginseng, shiitake mushrooms,
maple syrup, saw tooth palmetto, and decorative ferns are sold for medicinal,
culinary, and ornamental uses. Forest farming often provides income while
high-quality trees are being grown for wood products.
The principles and designs of different agroforestry practices can be utilized in non-agricultural and non-
Special forested situations. For example, the science and experience of using riparian forest buffers is being used in
Practices urban areas to address storm water quantity and quality issues. Similarly, forest farming techniques are being
used to grow food in parks and backyards. Some special applications include the utilization of wastewater
or irrigation tailwater to irrigate the trees and shrubs. Any agroforestry practice can be designed to enhance
wildlife habitat and to optimize carbon storage.
1980s 1990 1998 2000s
Renewed interest in agroforestry’s In the 1990 Farm Bill, Congress The University of Missouri started In 2004, the 1890 Land-Grant
potential in the temperate U.S. authorized the establishment the Center for Agroforestry, which Universities formed the 1890
gained the attention of academic of the USDA Forest Service’s provides research and education on Agroforestry Consortium along
institutions, government agencies, “Semiarid Agroforestry Research, agroforestry systems. with NAC. In 2011 the University
and other organizations. Development, and Demonstration of Missouri began an online
Center.” In 1995, this became a master’s program in agroforestry
partnership with USDA’s Natural and later a 12 hour graduate
Resources Conservation Service and certificate in agroforestry.
broadened its mission to cover the
entire US. It’s name changed to the
USDA National Agroforestry Center.
The Future The United States is well positioned for an expanded application of agroforestry to address America’s most
pressing economic, environmental, and social priorities, including jobs and rural prosperity, cleaner water for
communities and downstream ecosystems, climate-resilient working landscapes, a safe, secure and nutritious
food supply, and improved habitat/corridors for wildlife. Agroforestry’s importance in the 21st century
will increase both in the U.S. and globally as a means to sustainably produce the food, fiber, and bioenergy
demanded by a world-wide population that is expected to exceed 9 billion people by 2050. The scientific
basis for agroforestry in temperate North America has made great advances, but more tailored science-based
tools are needed to address a wide range of issues and opportunities across all lands. Agroforestry can and
should become part of an all-lands approach to conservation and economic development that is applicable
throughout the rural to urban continuum and in all regions of the country. Leadership, partnerships, and
active engagement among government agencies, universities, landowners, producers, and other organizations
will be essential to realize a significant 21st century expansion of agroforestry and its many benefits.
References Beetz, A.E. 2010. Agroforestry: An Overview. National Sustainable Agricultural Service, a project of the
National Center for Appropriate Technology. Published June 2002. Updated March 2011.
Bentrup, Gary 2008. Conservation buffers: design guidelines for buffers, corridors, and greenways. Gen. Tech.
Rep. SRS-109. Asheville, NC: Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station.
Bentrup G., Schoeneberger M., Josiah S., and Francis C. 2001. Ecobelts: Reconnecting agriculture and
communities – case studies. In: Conference on Ecospheres Proc. Lincoln, NE. 10-13 June, 2001, University
of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, USDA, pp 1-13.
Brandle J.R., Hodges L., Zhou X.H. 2004. Windbreaks in North American agricultural systems.
Agroforestry Systems 61: 65–78, 2004.
Droze W.H. 1977. Trees, Prairies, and People: A History of Tree Planting in the Plains States. USDA Forest
Service and Texas Woman’s University Press, Denton, TX, 313 pp.
Garrett H.E. (ed.) 2009. North American Agroforestry: An Integrated Science and Practice. 2nd edition.
American Society of Agronomy, Inc. 379 pp.
Rietveld, Bill and Kris Irwin. Agroforestry in the United States. 1996. Agroforestry Notes, AF Note 1. USDA
National Agroforestry Center, Lincoln, NE. 6 pp.
Smith, J.R. 1929. Tree Crops: a permanent agriculture. Harcorce, Brace and Company, NY, 333 pp. available
online: http://www.archive.org/details/TreeCrops-J.RussellSmith
Authors Andy Mason, Director-retired, USDA National Agroforestry Center, Lincoln, Nebraska.
Douglas Wallace, NRCS Agroforester-retired, USDA National Agroforestry Center, Lincoln, Nebraska.
Richard Straight, USFS Agroforester, USDA National Agroforestry Center, Lincoln, Nebraska.
Email: [email protected]
Contact: USDA National Agroforestry Center, 402.437.5178 ext. 4011, 1945 N. 38th St., Lincoln, Nebraska 68583-0822. http://nac.unl.edu
The USDA National Agroforestry Center (NAC) is a partnership of the Forest Service (Research & Development and State & Private Forestry) and the
Natural Resources Conservation Service. NAC’s staffs are located at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE and in Blacksburg, VA. NAC’s purpose
is to accelerate the development and application of agroforestry technologies to attain more economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable
land use systems by working with a national network of partners and cooperators to conduct research develop technologies and tools, establish
National demonstrations, and provide useful information to natural resource professionals.
Agroforestry Opinions expressed in Agroforestry Notes are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the policy of the USDA Forest Service or the USDA
Center Natural Resources Conservation Service.
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